


The Truth About Dogs

by lotusk



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Awkward Jongin, Awkward Joonmyun, Baby Rahee, Dogs, Domestic Fluff, First Meetings, Fluff, Jongin with baby, M/M, Meet-Cute, Poodles, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, house sitting au, jongin's noonas, sukai and dogs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-27
Updated: 2016-02-27
Packaged: 2018-05-23 13:21:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6117712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lotusk/pseuds/lotusk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A handsome young man lets himself out of Jongin's house, pets his dog, greets Jongin by name and casually drives off. The problem is, Jongin's never laid eyes on him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Truth About Dogs

**Author's Note:**

> Exorelieffund fic for noteholding.

Jjangah's paws were moving so swiftly over the pavement they were practically four blurry patches of fawn. She was straining at the leash so hard that Jongin had to struggle to keep up—which was quite a feat considering how much longer his legs were than the toy poodle's. 

"Jjangah slow down! I can't keep up!" Jongin tried to sound as firm as possible but the little dog ignored him completely. It was almost like he was desperate to get home. But for what? A drink of water? Jongin just couldn't understand it. Thank goodness his noona's house was just round the corner because he was about to pass out from the workout Jjangah had just given him.

Finally, they turned into his noona's driveway—Jjangah's anxious barks ringing through the air. The poodle made a sudden break for the front door and Jongin had to drop the leash or risk choking the frantic creature. What was with her today? 

Jjangah was barking and hopping excitedly, clearly impatient to get into the house. As Jongin's right foot landed on the doorstep, the door opened out. Unexpectedly. And a whole panic-stricken montage unfolded in his mind: grainy CCTV images of masked intruders breaking and entering and tying him up and gagging him and emptying the house of all valuables. He was totally screwed how was he going to explain this to noona and he was positive he'd locked the door earlier and fuck he was so screwed and noona was going to kill him and brother-in-law was going to kill him too and why did he ever agree to house sit for them and God **he was so screwed**! 

"Jjangah! How are you, girl?" A young man squatted next to the ecstatic poodle who was licking his hands and planting her front paws on a slim, denim-clad knee. Gently, he patted Jjangah as her tail wagged energetically in response. 

"Excuse me, but. . .who the hell are you and how did you get into the house?" Jongin asked warily. His heart was clenching cold but he forced himself to be calm and to show no fear. The stranger knew Jjangah's name and Jjangah knew him, so he wasn't technically a stranger, right? And Jongin's life wasn't technically over, right? He clung to that thought as he gave the man the most ferocious look he could muster.

"You must be Jongin? I'm running late for an appointment—must run!" The young man smiled and waved as he walked by. _Handsome_ young man, Jongin corrected himself, because whoever he was? He was very handsome in a clean cut, low-key kind of way, and Jongin liked his intelligent, almond shaped eyes and short, dark brown hair. The stranger had high cheekbones, clear, alabaster skin, and an attractive pink mouth that was deeply distracting.

“Yes I am, but who the hell are you?!"

"Later!" The man said congenially, just before he climbed into the driver's seat of brother-in-law Donggyu’s Honda SUV. The latter was currently parked right in front of the closed garage door, but it had definitely been _inside_ the garage when Jongin had left the house thirty minutes earlier. That meant the stranger knew where Donggyu hid his car keys, not to mention Jjangah was practically throwing herself at him, she was so starstruck. Not that Jongin was jealous or anything because Jjangah got excited over him too. Well, excited-ish anyway. Jongin gave the traitorous toy poodle a reproachful look.

Pulling out his phone, his fingers tapped at the glass, fast and a little too hard:

_Noona, there's a strange man in your house. A strange man who knows my name. A strange man who apparently knows where DG hides his car keys. A strange man your dog tried to lick to death, she was so ecstatic to see him. IS THERE MAYBE SOMETHING YOU FORGOT TO TELL ME GFDI?_

For the next fifteen minutes, Jongin kept glancing agitatedly at his phone screen but there were no notifications, no replies. And it wasn't like Jongin could even whine about it because Junghee noona was on her honeymoon after all. They'd had a pretty wedding ceremony at the Hyatt Regency the night before and all their family and friends had attended. Everyone in the direct family had shown up in smartly tailored suits and flowing silk or chiffon gowns.

Everyone had been present except. . .holy crap, Handsome Stranger had to be The Younger Brother—the one who'd been flying back from the States and gotten himself stranded in London on transit because of a cancelled connecting flight. The flight cancellation had then led to his missing the connecting flight back to Seoul so he'd had to miss the wedding completely. 

Jongin had been dragged in at the last minute as a reluctant, substitute best man. Donggyu was a decent enough dude but Jongin hated attention of any kind so it had been a torturous few hours having to stand and sit next to the groom while hundreds of strangers looked on. The wedding service had been a complete ordeal but thank God the food had been good at dinner. That had kinda made up for it. Some. After the trauma of playing emergency best man, Jongin felt like he was practically _obligated_ to dislike Donggyu's younger brother. It had been his fault, after all, that Jongin had had to step in.

What was his name? Why couldn’t he remember his name? Jongin cursed himself for being bad with names and for not paying attention when his noona had showed him photos of her soon-to-be in-laws. He’d always nodded and mostly zoned out—finding it difficult to take an interest in people he’d never met. It was something he regretted now because he really hated not knowing his brother-in-law’s name when the other man had so casually and accurately called him by his. Jongin never liked being at a disadvantage.

He supposed he could call his other noona to ask but it was just too damned embarrassing. Just as Jongin had made his mind up to ring his mom or Junghee noona to find out Donggyu’s brother’s name, his phone vibrated in his hand. Two sharp dings—a message had been received.

 _Sorry, Jongin! Things were so hectic with the wedding i forgot to tell you DG’s bro would be staying at our place. Joonmyun is great! I’m sure you’ll be able to share a house without tearing each other to pieces? Thanks again for babysitting Jjangah! See you in a week!_

_Joonmyun_. His name was Kim Joonmyun. Shaking his head, Jongin sighed, and really hoped his noona was right and that they would be able to share a house _without tearing each other to pieces_.

✳✳✳

Jongin was stacking the final dish on the drying rack when a dozing Jjangah got on all fours and bounded out of the kitchen. Happy barks echoed through the house as the toy poodle greeted a person at the front door who couldn’t be anyone other than Joonmyun—judging from the dog’s levels of dizzy excitement.

“Hi,” the man greeted pleasantly as he walked into the kitchen. “We didn’t meet earlier. I’m Joonmyun, Donggyu’s brother.” 

"Hi. Sorry I didn't know who you were. Noona didn't mention you'd be here. Busy with the wedding and all that."

"That's fine. I haven't really been around for the past two years anyway. But I'm back for good. Finally done with school."

"So you've graduated?"

"A few weeks ago, yup. Biochem."

"That sounds um. . ."

"Nerdy? I assure you, it totally is. Donggyu tells me you're doing. . .Industrial Design?"

"Second year," Jongin added awkwardly. He hated small chat and never knew how to act, never knew the right thing to say. Joonmyun was probably going to ask him about the weather next and he braced himself to give agonized answers about how warm the weather was getting.

"Sounds cool," he smiled, "so anyway, I suck at this whole getting-to-know-you small talk routine thing so let's just skip that. Looks like we'll be sharing this space for the next two weeks and I think, I hope, we can get through it without killing each other?" He sounded so congenial as he said it that Jongin couldn't help but laugh.

"I think we'll be able to _just_ manage it."

"Right, let's go get a bite to eat."

"Um. . .actually, I've eaten. I made an omelette. I wasn't sure when you'd be back and had no way to contact you. . .so, yeah i just ate first."

"So that's why you're wearing an apron. You look cute as hell," Joonmyun said and he looked like he actually meant it. Making an embarrassed noise, Jongin reached around to untie the strings of his noona's red _Hikosen Cara_ apron, pulling the thing off hastily.

"I didn't want to get stains on my shirt," Jongin explained to no one in particular as he flung the red apron over the nearest chair, the appliqué cat mocking him.

"You don't have to explain, Jongin. We're temporary roommates and family so everything's cool. So how about it? Keep me company while I eat? You could have a massive root beer float or a bottle of soju—wait, you do drink, right? I wouldn't want your sister to be upset with me for being a bad influence and all that," Joonmyun grinned and Jongin bristled at the implications.

"OF COURSE I DRINK! I'm _twenty_ and what makes you think I'm not a bad influence myself?" Jongin protested—just a tad sarcastically.

"That's good to know," Joonmyun laughed before adding, "not that I'm cool enough to be a bad influence anyway. So shall we go? You can drink anything you like and I'll pay for it, I promise. Alcoholic or non-alcoholic. I hate eating alone so you'll be doing me a huge favor."

Squatting to give Jjangah a goodbye pat on the head, Jongin sighed and nodded.

✳✳✳

Joonmyun liked his brother-in-law's deep voice. The deep timbre of it made him feel all warm on the inside and. . .well, other things. He liked his sleepy, yet oh-so expressive eyes. They were so mercurial as they flashed with everything from humor to suspicion to indignation to undisguised joy. They were mesmerizing; and Joonmyun couldn't stop staring as Jongin sat across from him, telling him all about life on campus and shitty lecturers and friends who probably weren't the best influence— _but don't tell my noona or your hyung_.

Jongin told him about a dude called Jongdae who seemed to have gotten Jongin into all kinds of scrapes during the past semester e.g. pub crawls and hangovers mere days before deadlines. And there was a time he had made Jongin sit in the car with him while he did donuts on his ex-girlfriend's lawn, yelling "I STILL LOVE YOU PARK SUNYOUNG!" out the window while Jongin tried valiantly to shut him the hell up and convince him that this would be no.1 on the list of things not to do if you were trying to get back with your ex.

The name Sehun kept popping up as well and Joonmyun wondered if he was more than just a friend. Or perhaps it was the girl Younha whom he’d mentioned a few times—perhaps she was his girlfriend or crush. Or maybe she really was just a friend. Not that Jongin’s relationship status was any of his business. _Stop being so nosey, Joonmyun. You don’t even know this boy_. But he could watch him, couldn’t he? And Joonmyun proceeded to do just that. 

Jongin’s hands never seemed to stop moving for long—elegant fingers playing with the stainless steel pepper shaker, drumming the hard pinewood surface of the table, folding the restaurant issue paper towel into an origami jet fighter. He was like a crackling cloud of energy that couldn't quite be contained.

"So are you going back to the States now that you've graduated?"

"No. I'm back for good, actually. Just have to find a job so I can get my own place at some point. I'm here for now because Umma's house is overrun with relatives from Incheon and Busan—they came out for the wedding. You'd be amazed how much noise two ahjummas and two ahjussis can make? I feel like Appa needs rescuing but he’ll never abandon Umma, so he’ll just have to drown in noise for the next couple days. Thank God I can hide out at Donggyu’s till they get back from the honeymoon," he gave a small laugh as he took a swig of makgeolli. 

“My house is overflowing with noisy relatives too at the moment, so I can totally relate. I stay on campus during the semester though so that's pretty damned noisy too," Jongin said as he took a mouthful of _bibimbap_. When he’d swallowed his food, Jongin put his spoon down with a muted clang and asked, "Joonmyun, did you know that we’d be house-sitting together?” 

“Yeah, hyung told me we'd be sharing the house," Joonmyun admitted. What he didn't say was that his sister-in-law had also asked him to keep an eye on her little brother and make sure he didn't get into any "trouble". He'd been half expecting an apathetic boy with heavy eyeliner, blue manga hair, and multiple piercings. What he hadn't expected was a clean-cut, handsome and slightly awkward boy with long, graceful limbs and the most expressive eyes he had ever seen. 

His brother had been seeing Jongin's sister for close to three years and he'd been away for practically all of that time, so he'd never even seen pictures of Jongin let alone met him. There had never been any curiosity about his future brother-in-law, so he hadn't known what to expect really. When he'd seen the beautiful boy in the driveway, a red leash dangling from his hand and a suspicious look on his face, Joonmyun had known he wanted to know more about him. The look of indignation on Jongin's face when he'd left without introducing himself had had him smiling as he drove himself to his appointment.

"I wish someone had thought of telling me," Jongin pursed his mouth in the cutest of gestures, "I thought someone broke into the house. I was shitting myself."

"I'm sorry. And I'm sorry I didn't tell you who I was. It's just. . .I was in a hurry and," Joonmyun scratched his forehead in a sheepish gesture, "you looked so cute with that look of outrage on your face that I wanted to remember you that way."

"That was mean."

"I know, and I'm sorry. Let me make it up to you."

"I don't see how you could! That was some serious mental trauma!" To Joonmyun's relief, he saw humor in Jongin's eyes.

"Let's go to Sulbing after this and I'll buy you as much injeolmi bingsu as you want."

"It was _serious_ trauma, okay? I thought my sister was going to kill me for letting the house get robbed while it was in my care."

"Okay you can have toast too."

"I'm probably going to need _years and years_ of therapy to get over the trauma." 

"Fine!" Joonmyun laughed, "One week then. I'll buy you dessert for the next seven days, how does that sound?"

"I get to choose what and where?"

"You drive a hard bargain, Kim Jongin."

"Do you want me to forgive you or not?"

"Whatever you want, anywhere you want," Joonmyun gave a retiring sigh, like it wasn't exactly what he wanted anyway.

"I forgive you then," Jongin smiled— _really_ smiled, so the joy reached his eyes and Joonmyun felt something cave and give way in his chest and found himself hoping that Jongin was the kind of guy who had crushes on Sehuns rather than Younhas.

✳✳✳

They eventually got home just before midnight—after spending more than two hours chatting in the brightly lit ambience of the Sulbing dessert cafe in Insadong. Jongin had listened eagerly as Joonmyun spoke of his life as a Biochemistry major in a university somewhere in small town America—the names just strange sounding syllables to Jongin. Not that he cared because really, the only thing that mattered to him was the way the words sounded in Joonmyun's clear, warm voice.

“This is probably a stupid question but where are you sleeping?” Jongin asked as he picked an excited, squirming Jjangah into his arms. He hadn’t seen any sign of Joonmyun’s things earlier.

“Yeah, I haven’t figured that out yet. I had to leave pretty much fifteen minutes after I got in, so I just dumped my stuff in the study.”

“Ah.”

“Donggyu said I could use their bedroom but the thought of sleeping on their bed…I just no,” Joonmyun laughed, putting his hands up as if to indicate no-fucking-way-man.

“Well, there’s two single beds in the spare room I’m using,” Jongin swallowed nervously.

“That’s nice of you, Jongin, but I don’t expect it. I’ll just sleep out here. There’s a sofa bed.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to just share the room? I mean it’s no trouble, Joonmyun. And you wouldn’t have to look for bedsheets. It’s late and…yeah,” Jongin finished awkwardly.

“No, it’s cool. Really. I know where the sheets are. I’ll be fine out here,” Junmyeon said, equally awkwardly. The conversation was suddenly stuttering even enough it'd been flowing effortlessly most of the night. _Typical_ , Jongin lamented.

"Um. . .at least let me help you put the sheets on?"

"I could do with some help," he smiled just before he headed for what appeared to be the linen cupboard. Jongin shook his head at himself; he'd come to this house tens of times in the past two years and he had no idea where anything he was. I mean sheets, honestly? Who even cared? And yet Joonmyun knew exactly where they were. He was probably the kind of guy who knew where everything went and how everything worked. 

_I'm a total geek_ , Joonmyun had said of himself. And maybe that was true, but all Jongin saw was someone he wanted to get to know and maybe even really, really like one day. As he helped Joonmyun tuck the fitted white sheet over the sofa bed mattress, he wondered if his new brother-in-law only liked girls, and wished with all his heart that he didn't.

✳✳✳

Jongin stared at the basket sitting forlornly at the foot of his bed. He'd moved Jjangah's basket into his room that afternoon, expecting the little dog to keep him company that night. He didn't see Jjangah all that often but he adored her and liked having her close by when there was any chance at all. Unfortunately, she'd abandoned him for his temporary housemate.

"Jjangah, you traitor," Jongin pouted but deep down he knew it wasn't betrayal he felt—it was envy.

✳✳✳

Deep in thought, Joonmyun scratched the furry heap in his arms, fingers working at that sweet spot behind the ears. The living room was bathed in the warm orange glow of the lava lamp Joonmyun had bought for his brother as a joke a few years back. Ironically, Donggyu hyung had liked it so much he'd installed it on one of the corner coffee tables where it clashed defiantly with everything else in the room (which was decorated in cool, soothing shades of ivory and pale green). Every time he came by for a visit, his sister-in-law would threaten to throw the lamp out and ask him why he'd given his hyung such a hideous thing. The look of affectionate exasperation on her face was always so adorable and he was so glad his brother and her had found each other.

"Why is your mom's little brother so cute, huh, girl?" Joonmyun said softly and Jjangah stared back at him with intelligent eyes.

"You think he's cute too, don't you?" Joonmyun stroked his head and he swore the poodle nodded.

For the next two hours, Joonmyun tossed fitfully on the sagging mattress of the sofa bed as he tried to fall asleep—kept awake by a combination of jet lag, Jjangah's gentle snores and flashbacks of the evening he'd spent with a boy who had made him feel more alive than he'd felt in years. Who would've known his brother-in-law would turn out to be so cute?

✳✳✳

Jongin blinked as long needles of sunlight poked through his drapes. The digits on his phone screen informed him it was 7.03 am and he cursed his bladder for being such an inconsiderate bastard. It had taken him ages to fall asleep in the end as he thought about Joonmyun being in the next room—wondering if he was asleep or not, and trying not to remember how handsome he'd looked as he'd directed smile after smile at him throughout the night. Given the restless night's sleep he'd had, he'd been looking forward to sleeping in—unfortunately his bladder had other plans and he'd been rudely awakened by morning wood. Groaning in protest, he forced himself out of bed, dragged a hand through what felt like the most spectacular case of bedhead, and headed for the bathroom across the corridor.

Fantasizing about cottony smooth sheets beneath his body and a morning free of commitments, Jongin was halfway to his room before he stopped in his tracks. He wondered if Joonmyun was awake yet—maybe he was a morning person with a persistent body clock. He should. . .Jongin felt he should ask him if he needed anything. _Maybe he needs help finding the breakfast things_? He gave his sleepwear a critical look—washed out, black Batman tee and loose-fitting grey madras shorts—and decided he looked decent enough to face his brother-in-law.

Quietly, his feet padded across the cool hardwood floor, taking him along the familiar route to the kitchen. After all, if Joonmyun was still asleep there would be no reason for Jongin to even interact with him till later. As he walked past the living-room, he saw two distinct shapes on the sofa bed. Jongin wasn't altogether sure what he'd been expecting to find but one thing was for sure, his heart was not prepared for the sight that greeted him. 

Joonmyun lay on his side, his thin body curled around a slumbering Jjangah, a tiny frown marring his handsome features. His blanket had been thrown off at some point during the night, and judging from the goosebumps dotting his skin, his short-sleeved white tee, boxer shorts _and_ Jjangah combined, weren't doing enough to keep him warm. He hoped it was the cold that was making Joonmyun frown and not other, more lasting concerns.

He'd only met this man yesterday—why was there a weird throbbing in his chest as he watched Joonmyun sleep? Seeing him all cuddled up with Jjangah, Jongin felt a surge of protectiveness as he reached for the corners of the discarded blanket and tucked the light summer quilt around his body—making sure he was completely covered without smothering Jjangah. The little dog had stirred almost as soon as Jongin had stopped beside the sofa—turning her head to gaze at Jongin. Seeing that it was just her mom's little brother, Jjangah's head had flopped back onto the mattress and she wriggled around for a bit before making herself comfortable.

Joonmyun's snores were interrupted by a soft moan as he flung an arm out and his sleep-pink lips parted in a small 'o'. And all of a sudden, he was an intriguing blend of innocent and sensual which was deeply arousing and Jongin was not prepared. Taking one final, lingering look at the handsome young man curled up under the blanket he had just covered him with, Jongin fled.

As he shifted restlessly in his bed later, all Jongin kept seeing was that innocent, sensual mouth pressed against his. 

_Just once_.

✳✳✳

"Morning, Jongin," Joonmyun greeted groggily as he nursed a cup of bitter black coffee.

"Morning," Jongin walked over to the percolator with a bright yellow mug in his hand, "did you sleep well?" 

"Had the night from hell to be very honest," Joonmyun answered—bleary and disoriented from a night of extremely disturbed sleep. He'd woken up warm and cosy underneath his quilt, with Jjangah nowhere to be seen. And despite how comfortable he felt beneath the quilt, his body was heavy and achey with a sense of overwhelming fatigue. 

_Jet lag sucks_ , Joonmyun frowned, completely ignoring the fact that he'd been kept awake by flashbacks of the time he'd spent with his brother-in-law just as much as he'd been affected by time zones.

"What’re your plans for today?" Jongin asked as he slid bonelessly onto the chair across the table from Joonmyun. His fine dark hair was sticking out at odd angles and Joonmyun was seized by an overwhelming urge to subdue the rebellious hair—to smooth it down. 

"Other than trying to keep awake? Nothing much. You?”

“I need to walk three dogs after lunch so. . .if you’re not busy, I could do with some help,” Jongin gave a sheepish sleepy grin that made Joonmyun’s heart do a little a hiccup.

“Three. . .dogs? But I’ve only seen one in this house,” Joonmyun rubbed his eyes.The lack of sleep had to be affecting his hearing. 

“That’s because there _is_ only one,” Jongin sipped on his coffee—bleary-eyed and tousle-haired. There was that odd hiccup again.

“Where are you conjuring the other two from then?”

“I have to collect them from my oldest noona around two in the afternoon, but I usually go to her place earlier so i can see Baby.”

“Baby?”

“Baby Rahee, my noona’s daughter. I’m her favorite uncle,” he grinned as his enthusiasm about his niece spilled over.

“Favorite uncle, huh? Are you also her only uncle?” 

“Well. . .yes. But it doesn’t matter because even if she had other uncles, I’d still be her favorite." Joonmyun gave an amused snort at his boast and Jongin gave him a dirty look. "You’ll see,” he said confidently.

✳✳✳

Jongin held the tiny fist to his mouth and made an extra explosive raspberry—his heart going all gooey as his little niece dissolved into giggles at the noise and the tickling sensations. With each visit, Baby felt a little heavier in his arms and soon he wouldn't be able to balance her on his elbow the way he could now.

Feeling suddenly bereft, Jongin cuddled her close and inhaled that sweet baby smell he loved so much. Baby soap and lotion and. . .just baby, he sighed as she rubbed her little fingers on his cheek. Her tiny eyes were focused intensely on his cheek—like it held all the world's wonders. She looked like an angel with her sparse, fluffy hair and baby pillow cheeks. Looking at her always made him feel all gooey inside—why was he so gross? He knew he was being gross but he couldn't help coming back for more.

"I need to bring Rahee for her nap now, Jonginnie. You've got the front door key, right? I don't want you ringing the doorbell and waking her up. You know she takes forever to go to sleep. Just like her uncle when he was a baby." Jungsook-noona said it matter-of-factly as she took Rahee into her arms—like she hadn't just embarrassed him completely in front of a (really cute) stranger.

"Shhh, Noona! Why'd you bring that up?" Jongin stared at his sister in horror.

"Well, when I was complaining about how long it takes Rahee to settle down for a nap, Donggyu told us Joonmyun was a notoriously uncooperative napper as a baby," she turned to look at Joonmyun who was standing beside Jongin.

"Yes, I was," Joonmyun smiled, cheeks dusted pink with embarrassment. 

"There, see? You were equally atrocious nappers. Nothing to feel self-conscious about."

"Noonaaaaa," Jongin glared at her before (very reluctantly) handing a wriggling Rahee back to her. Sometimes it was really a drag having a sister who was twelve years older. She totally didn't get the whole wanting to look cool in front of a cute older guy thing. But before he had a chance to get all aggrieved at his sister, Baby started fussing and holding her arms out towards Jongin.

"Just let me carry her for two more minutes, Noona. Please? I promise I won't get her all excited."

"You'd better not!" Noona rolled her eyes but she let him take Rahee from her arms while Joonmyun watched on in obvious amusement.

"I told you I was her favorite uncle," Jongin said triumphantly as Rahee gurgled happily and tried to grab his hair.

"Oh honey, you're her _only other_ uncle, it's not like she has that many to pick from. And Joonmyun's brother is too nice to try and take the title from you." Noona laughed as she bent down to pick some toys off the floor.

"Baby would like me best even if she had a hundred uncles."

"Jongin, please!" She gave him a judging look. "You'd better not spoil her rotten. She's going to have her 'favorite uncle' completely wrapped around her finger—I can see the signs already."

"We're not listening to your umma. Your umma is mean," Jongin whispered (loudly) to Rahee who watched him with curious, intelligent eyes. 

"I heard that, Kim Jongin! Also, your two minutes is up. Go, take the dogs. They're dying for a workout." 

"Fine," Jongin grumbled, pulling Rahee's adorable little fingers off his nose so he could exchange baby for a pair of red leashes. Time to get the three dogs that were whining at the front door. They were more than ready for their walk. Monggu, the largest of the three, was a full sized poodle compared to miniature poodles Jjangah and Jjanggu, and they were all raring to go.

"We'd better get their leashes on," Jongin handed Joonmyun the blue leash that belonged to Jjangah while he fastened red ones on Monggu and Jjangu. "Let's go! And pray we don't encounter any cats today because I don't feel like having my arm dragged out of its socket."

"You're exaggerating!" Joonmyun laughed—his eyes crinkling in the most attractive way. Jongin tried not to be obvious but really, it was almost impossible not to stare at his brother-in-law.

✳✳✳

"You look like your noona," Joonmyun said as they walked side by side at a brisk pace set by the three restless dogs.

"Everyone says that, but I don't really see it," Jongin shrugged.

"You have the same eyes and jawline."

"You studied our faces that closely?" He didn't even try to hide the curiosity as he struggled to keep Monggu and Jjangu in check. He'd taken charge of them because they weren't as used to Joonmyun—even though they had clearly marked him as a non-stranger. He'd only been treated to a round of aggressive barks before the dogs licked his hand and promptly lost interest in intimidating him. Even his noona had clearly met Joonmyun many times as she treated him with warmth and familiarity. She could be very imposing when she had to deal with people she hadn’t met before, but Jongin hadn't seen any of signs of her usual wariness in her relaxed interactions with Joonmyun.

"Well, I've met your noona a few times," Joonmyun said hastily.

"You just met me yesterday though." The younger boy was giving him a speculative look.

"I. . .yeah. I'm not real good at this kind of thing."

"What kind of thing?"

"Being a smooth talker."

"I'm not real crazy about smooth talkers, to be honest. So. . .do you like it?"

"Like it? What? I don't—"

"Do you like the way my noona and I look?" Jongin was chuckling now. He was totally enjoying making him sweat.

"Yeah, you could say that I guess. I like the way _you_ look anyway." Joonmyun tried not to cringe at the awkward confession that had just spilled out of his mouth. It was far too late to take back the words though, and a big part of him didn't actually want to.

"Me too," Jongin admitted shyly, "I like the way you look too. . .kind of a lot, actually. And wow, like this isn't completely humiliating on epic levels!"

"Well, it's only humiliating if the other dude tells you to piss off."

"Are you going to ask me to piss off?"

"Ah no. Anything but." Joonmyun was pretty sure his cheeks were blazing because they definitely felt hot.

"Anything b—?" Jongin tried to ask but that was the exact moment they realised they'd completely lost track of the dogs. Their arms were yanked forward as the dogs ran in pursuit of a huge ginger cat. The yapping was shrill and deafening but that was the least of their worries as they fought to get the dogs under control. They were good dogs who normally followed Jongin’s orders, but the cat had clearly sent their brains oozing out their ears, because they were ignoring every command to "heel".

"How do we make them stop?!" Joonmyun asked—panting from the exertion.

"Pray that cat jumps over a wall and disappears!" Jongin shouted. 

"Are you serious?"

"Dead fucking serious!"

"Shit!"

Abruptly, the cat changed direction. It ran across the street, then ran in the opposite direction. Not even bothering to cross the road, the dogs doubled back and started speeding up. Red and blue leashes became hopelessly tangled as the dogs tried to pursue the cat. All Joonmyun managed to shout was _whoa_ before he began toppling backwards. There was no time to even process what was happening before he saw nothing but blue sky—air rushing past his ears as he fell and fell.

"Hyung!" Jongin dropped the leashes and tried to grab him by the shoulders. But it was too late. The combined weight of gravity and Joonmyun was too much—robbing Jongin of his balance. Then there were sharp bursts of agony as Joonmyun’s back, elbows and ass struck the concrete. Really hard.

"Oof!" Joonmyun groaned, winded from the impact with the ground. Then his eyes opened and Joonmyun realized Jongin was falling fast towards him. No time to react, he shut his eyes and braced himself for the coming collision with more than sixty kilos of leanly muscled male. 

_No broken ribs. Please God, no broken ribs—_

✳✳✳

The floor and Joonmyun were rushing up at him and Jongin knew it would be bad if he let himself land on the much smaller man. Taking a deep breath, he flung his arms out. Pulling all his muscles towards his core, he did everything he could to avoid crash landing on Joonmyun. His wrists reverberated with pain as his outstretched palms smacked the pavement.

Spreadeagled, Jongin still ended up landing on Joonmyun—but with considerably less force than he would have if he hadn't taken preventive measures. They both grunted loudly as their chests and hip bones collided—skin and bone and muscle making painful contact. 

"Sorry!" Jongin moaned a few seconds later as he peeled his palms gingerly off the sidewalk, hissing at the discomfort. In the background, he could hear shrill barks but pretty much all his attention was focused on the man he was lying on top of.

"Ouch," Joonmyun said softly, his hands reaching up weakly to grip Jongin's upper arms.

"Are you okay?" Jongin asked in a daze before saying in a panicked rush, "I should get off you." Carefully, Jongin rolled off Joonmyun before bending over him, eyes filled with concern.

"You didn't have to," Joonmyun said as he stretched his arm out slowly, tentatively—checking for blood probably.

"Didn't have to?" Jongin wasn't sure what he meant as he took Joonmyun's wrist in a gentle grip and turned it over to inspect the skin for bruising or grazing. His skin was so pale and the series of tiny, bloodied scratches on his tricep and elbow looked alarmingly red. Jongin felt awful. 

"Get off. You didn't have to get off me," Joonmyun gave a weak smile.

"But hyung, I'm heavy and you're all cut up and this is all my fault."

"No, actually it's that fucking cat's fault," Joonmyun shot the ginger cat across the road a dirty look.

"But I practically flattened you."

"Well, my shoulder blades feel a little bruised and I sustained a few dents to the ego, but it's nothing a little antiseptic and a lie-in on the couch won't cure. The shrieking pain aside, it was kinda nice having you on top of me."

"Did you just. . .are you flirting with me?"

"I told you I suck at small talk. I meant it, Jongin."

"I don't know what to say. I'm. . .I suck even worse at small talk."

"Don't say anything. Just agree to watch a few movies with me tonight—on TV. So I don't have to watch alone. No small talk required at all."

"Only if I get to pick at least one of the movies."

"Yes, you definitely get to pick one," Joonmyun laughed. He was still lying there on the ground, his dark hair fanned around his hair like a halo. He was smiling, and his eyes—Joonmyun was someone whose smile seemed to reach his eyes and he looked beautiful. 

There was a loud roaring in Jongin's ears as he realized he'd happily watch movies all through the night with Joonmyun if he asked. He'd even let him pick all of them. He'd even watch a romcom if Joonmyun wanted and there was _nothing_ , absolutely _nothing_ Jongin hated more than romcoms.

"Well, is it a date?" Joonmyun touched his forearm, his fingers tentative on his skin.

 

"Yes," Jongin grinned as he helped Joonmyun into an upright, sitting position. _PLEASE don't let me make a fool of myself_ he thought to himself as he pulled a groaning Joonmyun off the floor. 

Across the road, the barking of the dogs escalated as the ginger-haired troublemaker bounded over the wall. As a limping Joonmyun draped his arm around Jongin's shoulder for support, Jongin sent a little prayer of thanks to the obnoxious ginger cat for being the best enabler ever.

✳✳✳

"Ow!" Joonmyun hissed as Jongin dabbed the graze wounds on his back with antiseptic.

"Sorry," Jongin sounded mostly apologetic as he continued to go over the wounds, "I really didn't expect to fall on you like that." His words were soft—comforting little puffs of air warming Joonmyun's lacerated skin.

"I'll live. No broken bones and I even got a movie date out of it," Joonmyun smiled.

"You're such a cheese ball, oh my God." He couldn't see Jongin's face but he could hear the amused mortification in his voice.

"It's. . .a problem, I know," Joonmyun chuckles.

"It's actually," Jongin began before letting his words trail off.

"Yeah?"

"It's kinda refreshing. That you don't care about looking cool in front of me." Cool fingers brushed against his skin as Jongin placed a gauze bandage over the wounds marking his shoulder blades. They felt good against his skin. Jongin's fingertips against his skin was something Joonmyun could get used to.

"You mean I'm not cool?"

"Just a little. Just enough. Being cool is overrated to be honest. And way too much work. I prefer hanging out with people who are okay with me being my awkward self, people who are okay with me being me."

"I think I can do that," Joonmyun smiled and then he was yelping as more stinging antiseptic seeped into his wounds. 

_Fuck_. He was so going to have to sleep on his tummy tonight.

✳✳✳

They ended up watching _Ferris Bueller's Day Off_. It had been Joonmyun's idea because he'd heard so much about it from his college mates in the States. It was a cult movie he'd always wanted to watch but had never got round to watching. Jongin had wrinkled his nose in abject horror when he'd Googled the movie.

"It was made in 1986! Are you serious? This movie is eight years older than me."

"That doesn't automatically make it a bad movie! Let's give it half an hour. If it sucks, we'll ditch it and try something else."

“Fine. But I'd like to make it clear that I'm watching it under duress!”

“I'll make it up to you. I promise.”

“Fine. But if it's not working by minute 30, I'm out.”

“Done.”

The movie turned out to be hilarious and they ended up watching it all the way to end aka minute 82. And everything about the movie had been entertaining—if not for _the one thing_. 

They'd sat next to each other on the ivory fabric sofa, surrounded by jade green cushions. The lights were off and the only sources of light in the room were the 50 inch TV screen and the lava lamp Joonmyun had given his brother. By minute 20 Jongin and Joonmyun had managed to slouch in their seats just enough that their shoulders were touching. By minute 30, they weren't even trying to pretend they weren't leaning into each other. 

It was nice. Having Jongin pressed up against him was very nice—it almost made Joonmyun forget the dull sting on his back and arms. Then at minute 40, the screen suddenly went all black and an R rating warning came on for the movie trailer they were about to see. When the music started up, Joonmyun’s stomach clenched. It sounded eerie as fuck and he did not do eerie. At all.

 _Oh shit. This was not happening to him_. This couldn't be a horror film trailer. Not when he was sitting next to a boy he wanted to impress.

The camera panned to a woman in a black dress, standing in front of an object shrouded in white cloth. It was a cobweb-covered attic, and Joonmyun had a very bad feeling that things were going to go south really quick. The girl reached her hand up and jerked the fabric down. It was a mirror. The girl smiled, and then she turned around and there were three ominous shapes, covered in. . .white cloth and the music was pounding and. . .

“Ah!” Joonmyun yelped softly before squashing his face in Jongin's chest. He couldn't watch anymore and he cursed himself for being terrified of horror films. He'd watched _Ju-on_ when he was eleven and had been eternally scarred by the experience. His friends in high school used to laugh at Joonmyun’s fear of horror films and he braced himself for the same kind of mocking laughter from Jongin. 

He waited, and waited but there were no sounds of mirth. Actually there were no sounds at all. The TV had been muted at some point, and that's when he felt it—fingers. . .stroking his hair.

“Y’know, I've never been a fan of horror movies,” Jongin said softly.

“Glad I'm not the only one,” Joonmyun mumbled into his soft t-shirt, his cheek sinking into the warmth of Jongin. He focused on the rise and fall of Jongin's chest as the other boy inhaled and exhaled and inhaled again. He listened to, and felt him breathe in and out, in and out, until his mind was 80 percent emptied of all the disturbing images.

"Ad break over," Jongin announced as he turned the volume up again, and the voices of Ferris Bueller and his best friend Cameron filled the room. Grateful that Jongin hadn't asked him why he hated horror movies, Joonmyun sat up again. He'd run out of excuses to snuggle up to his brother-in-law's chest, but he still managed to lean against his shoulder as they resumed watching the comedy. Where their bare arms touched, Joonmyun’s skin tingled—like flurries of fireflies were leaving trails of light sensation along the surface. It was stimulating and distracting and Joonmyun knew it would be a minor miracle if he even absorbed half of what was going on the screen from this point onwards. 

About five minutes later, Jjangah wandered into the sitting room, her tiny feet pattering swiftly over the hardwood floor. Whining, the little dog leapt onto the sofa and Jongin and Joonmyun watched in amusement as she settled herself between them both so she was lying half on Joonmyun's lap, and half on Jongin's. She looked adorable, and far too pleased with herself. 

As they watched the movie, they stroked her fur and scratched behind her ears. And every now and then, Joonmyun's fingers would brush against Jongin's by accident. It would be so easy to just wrap his fingers around Jongin's and hold on tight, but no. . .he couldn't. For now, it was enough to be sitting side-by-side, with Jjangah curled up between them. 

_Just enough._

✳✳✳

“I’ll pass,” Jongin answered, pressing the cellphone to his ear with one hand as he rinsed off the dishes with the other.

“C’mon, Jongin. Sehun and I will pick you up in half an hour. We can catch a live rock band in Hongdae. Two options! Kimchi Revolution or The Monitor Lizards?” Jongdae’s voice was persuasive and insistent but Jongin had no difficulty ignoring it.

“Neither, dude. I’m not going!” Jongin usually enjoyed hanging out in Hongdae with his friends, but tonight he just wanted to stay in—just in case his brother-in-law needed help with anything. _Who are you trying to kid, Kim Jongin? You can’t stop thinking about him and you want to spend time with him. That’s why you’re staying home._

“But you’re not even working tomorrow and we’re on vacay. Live a little.”

“Maybe this weekend? You guys have fun. I can’t tonight. Gotta go, byeee—”

“BUT JONGIN—” Jongdae protested loudly.

“I hear Kimchi Revolution is amazing—watch them and text me a review,”

“Dammit, Jongin!”

“Seriously, have fun you guys. And no driving to Park Sunyoung’s house. I don’t think her dad has forgiven you for driving all over his lawn and wrecking it.”

“Dammit, Jongin—”

“Bye, Dae!” Jongin ended the call and put the phone on silent mode. Knowing Jongdae, he’d call a few more times just to make sure Jongin wasn’t dying to watch Kimchi Revolution. He wasn’t dealing with that tonight. Slipping his phone into the back pocket of his shorts, Jongin wandered out of the kitchen and into the sitting-room—only to find Joonmyun trying to settle his bruised body onto the sofa bed. 

"Stop! You're using the bed in the guest room," Jongin announced firmly.

"I'll be fine on the sofa!" Joonmyun insisted.

"Don't be ridiculous. It's hard and lumpy and your back is a mess. Mine isn't scratched or bruised so _I'll_ take the sofa."

"It's not that bad. I can sleep on my tummy! It's not a problem."

"I can't let you sleep on the sofa when there's a comfortable bed in the guest room," Jongin said, his mouth set in a stubborn line. "And it's a queen size bed—plenty of space for the both of us. I mean if this is about you feeling bad about kicking me out or whatever, we could always. . .y'know, share the bed."

"I—" Joonmyun looked unsure but Jongin thought he looked like he might finally cave.

"It's a big bed, Joonmyun. We can totally share it without getting in each other's faces," Jongin explained in a calm voice despite the turmoil his emotions were in. His body thrummed with excitement and anxiety at the idea of sleeping beside Joonmyun. On the same bed. In the dark. And wow, this could possibly be the worst idea Jongin had ever had. But maybe Joonmyun would say no— 

"Okay."

Or not.

✳✳✳

Jongin watched as Joonmyun lowered himself carefully onto the bed so he lay on his belly, on the mattress. Jjangah gave them a cursory glance before curling up in her wicker sleeping basket which Jongin had placed near the bedroom window.

"You okay?" Jongin asked—not even bothering to conceal the concern in his voice.

"I'll live," Joonmyun smiled weakly as he stretched his limbs out. "Thanks for letting me sleep here, Jongin."

"No problem," Jongin said, a little shyness creeping into his voice. Avoiding Joonmyun's eyes, he unfolded the blanket and spread it carefully over him. 

“Thanks. You didn’t have to, but thank you, Jongin.”

"It’s just. . .your arms must ache. Y'know, after landing on the ground like that," Jongin mumbled awkwardly.

"They do," Joonmyun admitted, smiling. “Thanks again.”

"It's nothing," Jongin shrugged off as he lay down beside him, hugging the bolster to his chest. Why couldn't he think of things to say all of a sudden when they'd been chatting easily for most of the day. Typical. There was a cute guy in his bed and his conversational skills had abandoned him completely.

"I had a nice day today." Joonmyun turned his head so he was facing Jongin, his cheek resting on his pillow. His eyes were filled with a mixture of curiosity and warmth. Joonmyun looked. . .happy.

"Even though you almost got flattened by me?"

"Highlight of the day," Joonmyun chuckled, and it was a rich, wonderful sound that made Jongin's insides feel all warm.

"You should just have done it, you know?"

"Sorry?"

"Kissed me. You should have kissed me while you were lying on top of me," Joonmyun said with a mischievous, challenging smile.

"You can't say things like that!" Jongin practically spluttered—no longer hiding behind his bolster.

"I don't know how to make small talk, remember? I usually say what I think. My umma finds it really upsetting sometimes."

"What do you say that upsets her?" Now it was Jongin's turn to be curious.

"Well, she warned me the other day that she's going to hire a matchmaker soon. I'll have to go on blind dates and shit."

"I. . .good luck, I guess," Jongin said quietly as he tried not to feel and look disappointed.

"I haven't finished my story," Joonmyun said, smiling at him. "So I told her I was only going on blind dates if the dates were guys."

"Oh my God, you did not!"

"I did."

"What did she say!"

"She yelled a bit. Well, maybe a lot," Joonmyun laughed. "Actually she lectured me for ten minutes about how I shouldn't joke about things like that. That I had to marry a nice girl and have children. That there was no harm in starting early on the blind dates because it might take ages to find the right girl. I didn't have the heart to tell her it might take a lifetime. . .because there is no girl I will ever want to marry."

"You'd actually tell her that?" Jongin asked—his chin on his bolster, incredulous, as he gazed at Joonmyun intently.

"I would, and I will. I would have told her last night but I thought she'd had enough excitement for one afternoon. All that yelling, I mean."

"Yeah, probably best that way. I'm not looking forward to the day Umma tells me I have to go on blind dates." Jongin buried his face in the bolster, sighing.

"Maybe you'll already be dating a nice girl so you won't have to go out with strangers."

"I definitely won't be dating a nice girl," Jongin chuckled. "I don't date. . .girls."

Joonmyun wasn't even trying to hide his curiosity anymore as he stared at Jongin with a mixture of anxiety and hope. In the two days he'd known Joonmyun, he'd mostly been calm and casual—very much like nothing could ruffle his feathers (except for the horror trailer which had scared him good and proper). It was nice to see that his feathers were not immune to ruffling. Finally, Joonmyun took a sharp intake of breath, released it. . .and asked, "Do you date boys?"

"Yes," Jongin answered without hesitation. Then he watched Joonmyun quietly for a few seconds before adding, "but I'm not seeing anyone right now."

“Oh,” Joonmyun said, his eyes soft. 

“I guess you date boys too, huh, hyung?” Jongin never took his eyes off Joonmyun as he hugged his bolster to his chest.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that,” Joonmyun said, a warm smile etched into his face. He was lying on his side now, cheek buried into his pillow. 

“What are you going to do about your umma and those blind dates?” 

“I guess I might have to go on a few—just so I can say: _see, I tried and I’m sorry but I just can’t do this and I don’t think I ever will_. It’s going to take her a while to get used to the idea. I told her a couple years back but. . .she wasn’t really ready for the truth. I won’t pretend to be something I’m not, though. No matter what. It may take a few more years, but I know she’ll come round. _I hope she will_.” Joonmyun’s fingers rubbed the corner of his pillow the whole time he spoke.

Jongin wasn’t sure what to say so he decided not to say anything at all.

“Do your parents know? That you’re gay, I mean?” Joonmyun asked carefully. 

“About that—” Jongin groaned as he covered his face with his hands. “My two noonas cornered me at home when I was sixteen, because Junghee-noona saw me kissing Kim Minseok behind an ice-cream shop in Myeongdong.”

“Oh my God.”

“It was a total nightmare! I thought I was screwed for sure!” Jongin said animatedly. “But all they did was lecture me about being stupid reckless, and they made me promise that I would never ever kiss anyone in public again—whether it was a boy or a girl, because I would get into a fuckton of trouble if I ever get caught. Then they gave me a long and graphic lecture about safe sex and not doing _sex things_ in public toilets because umma would have a stroke if I got arrested and she had to bail me out of jail for _lewd behavior_. And last but not least, they told umma I was gay so I wouldn’t have to do it myself."

“Wow.” Joonmyun looked like he was at a loss for words and Jongin couldn’t blame him.

“Worst afternoon of my life!” Jongin shook his head, laughing. He could laugh about it _now_ , but he hadn’t found anything funny about the situation when he was sixteen. In fact, he’d been damned near traumatized. His sisters had expressed far too much glee while they were _educating_ him about safe sex.

“Sounds like it. Donggyu’s known since I was…I don’t know, seventeen, I think? He said he’d back me up but I had to tell them myself. So I did and my umma was upset and said I was too young and didn’t know what I was saying and we’d talk about it later. Donggyu tried to help, but honestly, she wasn’t ready for it and neither was Appa. Just one of those things.” Joonmyun’s voice was matter-of-fact but Jongin could tell it went much deeper than that. Shyly, he reached his arm out and covered Joonmyun’s hand with his own. 

Joonmyun smiled as his hand found Jongin’s and their fingers slid into the spaces between in a warm, easy, and sweet fit. He looked so handsome in the soft, champagne glow of the bedside lamp and Jongin longed to trace the contours of his face and ask him about the small scar he had beneath his right eye. There were so many questions Jongin wanted to ask Joonmyun and he’d only known him for a day. But there would be time for his selfish questions later. For now, he would try to make Joonmyun forget about his umma and troublesome blind dates. 

“Do you think, maybe…I know we just met but would you want to maybe go out with me sometime?” Joonmyun was warm and shy and hopeful all at once. And irresistible. As far as Jongin was concerned, Kim Joonmyun was irresistible. “I mean, we’re house-sitting together so obviously we’re going to see a lot of each other, but I was thinking we could do something together also. Not because we’re sharing a house or because we’re in-laws but just two guys, y’know, hanging out.”

“You mean like go on a date?” Jongin asked—the corners of his mouth beginning to lift.

“Yes. a date. I would really like to take you out on a date. Would you—” Joonmyun’s smile widened as his hand squeezed Jongin’s. 

“Yes!” Jongin answered eagerly. He didn’t even care that he’d just made it super obvious that he liked his brother-in-law. 

The were both lying on their sides—faces turned towards each other, and fingers intertwined. Jongin’s eyes closed for a second as Joonmyun cupped his cheek. Then their lips were on each other’s, mouths and tongues exploring and tentative in a first kiss that was giving and sweet and made their hearts race. Joonmyun’s cheek was taut and smooth beneath Jongin’s fingertips, and his lips pink and lush and pliant under his own. When their mouths finally moved apart, Jongin was more than a little breathless. His heart was pounding and a small part of him was demanding to know why the kiss had stopped. 

“It’s late and we should sleep,” Joonmyun said, panting a little as he stroked Jongin’s hair. “We should sleep but—”

A potent mix of emotions rushed through Jongin’s head as he stared at Joonmyun, and each of these emotions was rejecting the man’s suggestion. Sleep was the furthest thing from his mind right now. “But?” Jongin finally asked.

“But I’d rather kiss you,” Joonmyun said, his hand cupping the back of Jongin’s head and bringing his face closer to his own. “Let’s just kiss a little longer, Jongin. Let’s just kiss.”

Just before Joonmyun’s mouth slid over his, Jongin remembered telling his brother-in-law that they could share the guest bed without “getting in each other’s faces”. He had to stifle a smile, _so much for that_. And then they were kissing for real and there was no more time for thinking. No time at all.

✳✳✳

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed the story, comments and kudos are very much loved <3 


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